Covering the Blue-White Game is sometimes a bit of a nightmare. You are, after all, just one guy covering a scrimmage game loaded with young players readers are interested in learning more about. It’s pretty much impossible to watch them all as much as you need to in order to make a fair evaluation of their play*, then it’s difficult to make a stop at every player brought into the media room after the game and spend a decent amount of time with them.

*In fact, I told one player after the game who asked me how I thought he played that I’d have to go back and watch the recording of the game, because it was just impossible for me to tell fairly how well he did. There is so much to watch. (I still haven’t watched the replay, incidentally.)

Anyway, here are the five players who stood out most to me yesterday:

1.) LB Nyeem Wartman: I don’t need to go back to watch the film on Wartman. He’s a local guy for us in Scranton, a Valley View grad, so when he was on the field, he is the guy I focused on. I knew he was fast. I knew he was physical. I knew he was big. I did not know he was as instinctive as he is. He made just one tackle. But he blew up a screen pass on which he almost knocked Deron Thompson to Port Matilda. The hit of the day, by far. Wartman also was terrific in pass coverage. He said after the game that he does not have the starting spot at the Will linebacker locked up yet. But defensive coordinator John Butler said he has been running with the first team and is expected to make a big contribution. I think he’s better than Kline right now. Wartman’s upside might be better than anybody else at linebacker, too.

2.) RB Akeel Lynch: Everyone who covered the game will have Lynch on their most impressive list for this game, and for good reason. He was the most consistent big-play threat in the game. Watch out for the Penn State running game this year if Lynch can keep this up. What impressed me most about him is that he runs so physically, and coach Bill O’Brien clearly thinks that with some changes in his technique and pad level, he can run even harder. With Lynch, Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton, Penn State has three pretty good backs, potentially.

3.) CB Trevor Williams: I’ll be honest, I was surprised to hear Williams was moved from receiver to cornerback this spring. I just thought he had some ability at receiver, and with that offense, it’s always good to have the type of player that can go up and get a ball. But man, I think he’s a better corner than he was a receiver after watching him just one time. He has good instincts. Some good throws were made on him, but I don’t remember a play on which he got totally dusted by a receiver. Of course, he wasn’t covering Allen Robinson and Brandon Moseby-Felder out there. But he did a nice job on Eugene Lewis, and he broke up a few plays too. Coaches made the right move here. Sometimes, receivers go to defense and look like receivers trying to defend passes. He looks like a corner. Really fluid.

4.) OT/OG Eric Shrive: I think fans who have been wondering why Shrive hasn’t developed into the big-time tackle the scouting services predicted he’d be would really like what they saw in the Blue-White Game. He played a lot with the first team, and he frankly was dominating. Obviously, he’s another local guy for us in Scranton, so I watched him a lot more closely than others probably did. He more than held his own — and probably consistently won battles — with a guy I consider a pretty good defensive end, Anthony Zettel. There were nine QB sacks in the game, and I don’t think Shrive allowed any. I don’t know where he falls at tackle once Garry Gilliam is healthy (I think Shrive is more a guard anyway and have always thought that way), but Shrive is certainly the most versatile player the Nittany Lions have up front. That could come in handy for the team this fall when and if depth issues set in.

5.) DT Austin Johnson: Somebody had to step up at nose tackle and provide some depth behind DaQuan Jones and Kyle Baublitz, and I think some of the redshirt freshmen did it. If there’s an area of concern on the defense this year, I’d say it’s the defensive tackles, 1.) because they’re so important to the scheme and 2.) because this group is so inexperienced. But Johnson really impressed. He led the game in tackles, and I don’t care if it’s Blue-White, that’s tough to do from the nose.

Now that the snow has evidently blown through, we can get down to business here at Beaver Stadium.

Yes. Yes. I did say snow. It has been flurrying for about an hour and a half here as we get ready for the 2013 Blue-White Game, unaptly known as the spring scrimmage. Weather-wise, it’s going to be cold and windy, so if you’re coming out, dress like you’re coming out to see the Ohio State game in November. It’s like that.

UPDATE, 10:05: In case you forgot — and really, how could you? — the Blue-White Game is scored differently than any other football game ever played in the history of man. So, here’s the system they’re using today for the offense vs. defense clash:

UPDATE, 11:35: The fans here were just treated to some special teams practice. The Nittany Lions were working on kickoffs and punts.

UPDATE, 11:48: The Nittany Lions are about to run out of the tunnel. There isn’t a huge crowd here, but that’s because of the weather. Traditionally, good weather brings out good crowds for this game. Today, it’s cloudy, windy and in the 40s.

UPDATE, 12:12: The first-team offense drove down the field against the second-team defense and takes a 15-4 lead. Akeel Lynch scored from 1 yard out, and Steven Bench kept the offense moving, completing three passes on the series.

UPDATE, 1:07: The stats don’t look bad for the quarterbacks in the first half, but neither game an overwhelming performance.

Tyler Ferguson was 7 for 10 for 77 yards and a touchdown to Jesse James (who happened to be out of bounds on the play, but hey, it’s the spring game for the officials, too).

Steven Bench was 5 for 9 for 50 yards.

Combined, they were sacked five times.

UPDATE, 1:09: Star of the first half: Akeel Lynch. He ran 10 times for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Want bone-crunching hits and breathtaking plays? You've come to the wrong place. Want in depth analysis and breaking news on Penn State football and, occasionally, the rest of the sports world? That, we can help you with. Scranton Times-Tribune columnist and Penn State beat writer Donnie Collins promises to check in with all the breaking news and commentary on the Nittany Lions regularly. So drop by often, on game day or any day, to stay in the know.